


UnFreedom (Yandere Prince x Oc )

by AR175



Category: Yandere Simulator (Video Game)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, Obsession, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Princes & Princesses, Rejection, Romance Novel, Science Fiction & Fantasy, UnFreedom, Yandere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23313355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AR175/pseuds/AR175
Summary: A world ruled over by kings, where witches and magical creatures are the norm and the concept of technology is a figment of fiction- Anika is forced to go to the royal banquet where she catches the attention of the 'Perfect' Prince Ezekiel, who is the heartthrob of the royals and the public. But what happens when he gets his first rejection from a common girl like her? Will he be able to cope with it? Or is the perfect prince not so perfect after all..
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 2
Collections: Yandere, Yandere: Non Self Insert





	1. Chapter 1

**Anika**

The 1678th Annual Royal Banquet of Vermont was supposed to be the best day of my life.

Not because it was an occasion for normal citizens like me to meet the royal family. No, I hardly cared about their existence then.  
  
It's because it was supposed to be my day off from the futile routine of culinary arts and be a golden opportunity for me to read another chapter of my favourite book: Freedom by Anonymous.  
  
The title seemed like an outcry for rebellion, but after a decade long debate carried out by the royal scholars, it was labelled to be a whimsical fantasy of a group of teens who desperately wanted to escape from reality.  
  
Thus, the infamous ban on it was lifted and people were allowed to read the 'childish' ideas it encapsulated. However, it couldn't gain popularity among the masses due to the stigma attached to it.  
  
It described the life of a boy named Jack who lived in a world where there were no kingdoms. Instead, there were 7 'continents'- huge landmasses.  
  
His world didn't have magic like ours, a concept that my aunt claimed to be impossible. However to compensate for the magic, his people had developed their own version of magic called technology.  
  
The best part about technology was that it appeared to be available to everyone, not just the royals. But it wasn't technology that caused me to become so obsessed with the book.  
  
It was the idea of democracy and freedom- the two words that caused the book to be banned in the first place.  
  
In the beginning, people thought that the book was an deliberate attempt to start a rebellion against the beloved monarchical system.  
  
Some scholars argued that the book gave a dangerous definition of freedom. They believed that on lifting the ban on the book, it would result the reader to become brainwashed and delusional by its ideas.

Perhaps this was the only part they were right about, since this book predominantly shaped my personality.

Alas, I didn't get the chance to know if Jack was elected to be the 'Head boy' of his school or not for the next two weeks as Aunt Maurice forced me to prepare for the banquet night. 

A month ago, there was an announcement made at the public court by King Baxter of Vermont that it was mandatory for each household in the kingdom to be represented by atleast one maiden at the banquet as Prince Ezekiel had turned eighteen and could possibly choose a common girl as his fiance. 

When Josie, my cousin heard about the order from Uncle Benedict, she immediately started to prepare for the big day. After all, her childhood dream had come true. 

Everything was sorted.

Josephine had started on an 'all-potion diet' in order to have a perfectly clear skin and luscious red hair on the day of banquet.

She handpicked the fabric of her dress from the most renowned cloth shop in our district, my aunt sold a part of her ancestral jewellery in exchange of attractive modern accessories and uncle took her daily to the expensive etiquette class near the palace. 

One may think that they were being too optimistically delusional, but to be fair Josie was the prettiest girl in our district. With her wave-like fiery hair, emerald eyes and million dollar smile, the ethereal beauty seemed to be the perfect match for the prince.

But some things are too good to be true.

Almost an hour before the grand event, Josie was nowhere to be found in her room. Only a note remained where in jagged handwriting was written how much she meant to the person who had eloped with her.

Obviously it wasn't consensual, but it was a common occurence in my world.

Witches and wizards were known to kidnap in infatuation. They had a bizzare position in our society. Royals protected them for their access to magic, but the public shunned them. So after remaining in isolation for centuries, this was their coping mechanism to find love outside their community- bewitch and marry. 

Things weren't going to be completely bad for Josie as, by marrying into their community would grant her magical powers, but she would lose her memory in the process.

Although she hadn't been the best cousin to me, she also hadn't been a bully. We had an apathetic relationship. Neither did she call me her sister nor did she remind me all the time that I was adopted even if I intentionally called Maurice and Benedict my aunt and uncle rather than mother and father. We weren't bosom friends, but she respected my wishes to be left alone in the public library than go to the fields, climb the Western Hills and shop in the local market. She was the perfect wife material- nurturer at heart and impeccable cook.

I was the black sheep of our family and she was the trophy child. So, her sudden departure forced my aunt to go against her true wishes and drag me to the banquet in her place.

I was put in Josie's dress even if it was barely breathable for me. I fought for the little rights which were still in my hand like my adamant refusal to wear the heavy set of jewellery and sticky makeup which smelt like bazillion roses on a coffin. I won my tiny battles but the fact remained that I was going to lose the bigger one.

My attempts to convince my aunt that it was pointless for me to go the banquet fell on deaf ears. I lacked the ladylike ways of Josie. I frequently got into arguments with my uncle about how we were being oppressed by the monarchy and it was wrong to not have a choice in ones own life.

It was wrong for the girls to only learn how to cook and do the basic menial works of the house while the boys were registered to be in the royal army or had shops.

It was wrong to not get the same opportunities as the rich to become a scholar or physician.

But my biggest complaint was that it was wrong for my life goals to be dictated by the wellbeing of the royals. I wanted to travel around the world- know about the different cultures, study the rich history our ancestors left behind, know the origin of the crippling monarchical system and find a friend who had the same interests as mine.

Someone who wouldn't call me delusional for wishing to be independent. Someone who would encourage my dreams to explore life. Someone who would take me far away from the grasps of royals.

But I knew very well in my heart that the certain someone would never come for me.

I shamelessly envied Josie when our carriage reached the palace. I wobbled on our way to the hall like a baby as the tip of my heels threatened to pierce through my feet. When no one was looking, I removed the torture devices and threw them under one of the tables.

' _Our ancestors walked barefoot'_ I tried to assure myself after commiting one of the most outrageous crimes in our world. Women were supposed to have their feet covered in public. Bare feet were the symbol of indecency and a characteristic of a unfaithful lady. ' _I do meet both the requirements'_ I scoffed to myself as my aunt glared daggers at me. She lectured me to keep my big mouth shut throughout the night and not bring shame to our family with my eccentric hateful talk about the royals. I wasn't a child. I knew when to shut up and not have my head beheaded.

However, I made it a point to myself to appear as unattractive and crazy as possible in the eyes of Prince Ezekiel when he arrived in the hall. I wanted to get an instant rejection and be allowed to leave for the night.

But like I said before, some things are too good to be true.


	2. Chapter 2

**Zeke**

Sometimes I wish I could lose the need to be the perfect son in my father's eyes.

But whenever I felt his hawk-like gaze on me, I would hide the thin recipe book within my military arts textbook and watch his satisfied face from the corner of my eyes. 

I wanted him to be proud of me. 

I wanted the love from him which my mother had reserved for my elder sisters. There always seemed to be an invisible barrier between us. She claimed to love us all equal, but it was evident that she was biased towards her daughters.

The way her eyes softened in their presence, the way her solemn voice was suddenly full of concern when they got pricked by harmless thorns in the garden and the way she gave them a warm tearful hug when they once brought a basket full of wild berries from her hometown couldn't fool my desperate eyes.

I wanted us to have the same special bond. 

Every interaction we had was strictly formal. They were conversation between a queen and a prince, not a mother and her child.

So, one day I decided I would change that. I would be like my sisters.

It was her 15th marriage anniversary when I decided to bake a cake using the wild berries of her hometown. I wanted see the same genuine smile on her face when Stella and Bella gave her the berries.

I wanted to see a glimpse of her true self- the mother I yearned for.

Baking a cake with those berries wasn't as easy as I thought. They weren't a simple ingredient like bananas and carrots. They turned bitter and spicy when exposed directly to heat. So, I took the help of our royal cook, Davis.

He showed me how to cure the berries first, then freeze them in a blue potion and use them in the cake. It was a tedious and time consuming process, but I had finished a week's worth of assignments in advance much to my teacher's satisfaction. 

It took us eight attempts before we successfully baked the berry cake. My stomach growled in the end as I hadn't eaten anything for several hours. But nothing mattered to me more than seeing her reaction to it.

I hurried back to my room to get dressed for the reveal. I put on my best suit, wrote a heartfelt letter and sent for a maid to call for her. I wasn't allowed to see her unannounced like my sisters. Plus, we lived in separate chambers of the palace. Women of the royal family lived on the other side of the indoor garden. I never understood the foolish rule of my ancestors, but I blamed it to be partially the reason for the wedge between us. 

The moment I heard the clinking of the jewellery grow louder, a silly persistent smile tugged the corner of my mouth. ' _This is it. Ma will finally realize how much I love her!'_ thought my naive younger self.

I wish I could go back in time and tell the little me how foolish I was and that my life would never be the same again. 

She entered my room with her usual expressionless face. Still, I could make out that she was confused by the request I had sent. She had asked me to not disturb her unless the matter was of high importance.

Giving her a surprise cake was definitely important in my eyes, but I suppose it wasn't mutual.

I uncovered the plate placed on the marble table and looked at her face to catch the first glimpse of her emotions. I expected happy tears and a bright smile from her but all I got was shock mixed with anger. She looked at me as if I had committed the greatest sin and asked," What. is. this?"

Not being disheartened by the lack of joy in her voice, I answered that I had baked a cake for her marriage anniversary. I started to rant how difficult it was for Davis and me to preserve the flavours of the berries in the cake, until I realized she picked up the plate in her hand.

I was about to tell her to be careful as it was quite delicate, when I heard a loud thud. 

The velvet carpet was marred with cake bits, tiny shards of the porcelain plate had exploded to every corner of the room and the icing had melted from the heat of the candles I had once placed on the cake.

The symbol of my love for her was destroyed in a second. I looked at her in disbelief, trying to find a trace of remorse in her eyes for the deed she had committed, but there was none.

Her face was cold and expressionless.

"Why-why would you do that?" I struggled to speak as angry tears threatened to shed from my eyes.

" **How dare you waste your precious time on such frivolous activity! Baking and cooking are the jobs of the peasants, not the future king of Vermont!** " She finally showed some emotion, even if I wished it was a different kind. But her cruel words didn't end there.

" **You should be engaged in martial arts, interested in learning battle strategies- not cook like a maid!** " She looked at me in disgust, before turning back into her stone-cold self.

"I believe you have a lot of time on your hands. I shall immediately arrange for your extra potion classes with the Head Witch and fire that good-for-nothing cook who had the audacity to make the heir of Vermont do his work instead." With that she stormed out of my room, leaving me to stare at the smashed cake which seemed equivalent to my crushed heart. 

I forced myself to not cry for a cruel woman like her. I no longer cared for the reasons she had to act this way.

I was done.

Done trying to get something I would never have.

I was about to get rid of the mess created when my father walked into the room. He must have heard his wife's voice as he looked at me pitifully. I stood up and bowed to him, expecting a scolding from him too.

But he instead hugged me. 

I instantly let go of my tears. I knew as a boy it was wrong for me to cry, but I couldn't help it.

I would go **mad** otherwise.

He comforted me for a while before addressing the elephant in the room. He didn't agree with the way I was treated by his wife, but he did say that as a father he would be proud if I was more interested in military arts than a soft skill like baking.

 **I should have been angry with him too, but I couldn't**.

I always thought that it was because of him my mother treated me coldly. I never got to meet him much as the war with Kingdom Wildenesse kept him away from home.

So, to have him embrace me for the first time as a father and not a king, gave me hope.

Hope to be his favourite child. 

**Hope to deprive my sisters of his affections like the way I was of my mother's.**

I wanted them to go through the same dilemma I had while they simply did nothing to lessen it. As elder sisters they could have chosen to reason with my mother but they instead ignored my pain.

**And so would I.**

I worked hard to become the perfect prince in my father's eyes.

I memorized hundereds of pages of battle strategies, 

Excelled in archery, wrestling and potions,

Defeated his favourite knight in a sword fight and

Swayed the public in favour of his rule when there was unrest caused by a silly book of fiction.

The royal scholars had mixed reaction to it. Some called it an act of rebellion while some discreetly expressed their agreement with its ideologies. I read a few pages and understood what they meant.

It was a nice book, though I wouldn't tell that to my father. He was already having sleepless nights as he feared to lose his kingdom. He held a lot of meetings with the scholars to reach a conclusion for the public statement to be released about it.

Clearly, banning the book had only caused the public to become more curious about it. The masses wanted to know what was so wrong in it that caused the king to ban it.

So, I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me to shine in his eyes.

I killed the curiosity about the book by ridiculing it in public.

 **I** labelled it to be a whimsical fantasy of a group of teens who desperately wanted to escape from reality.

I mocked how uncreative the author was when they replaced magic with technology.

I sowed the seeds of doubt about the idea against democracy in their minds by telling them that without a ruler, greedy people would abuse the system.

By sharing magic with everyone, criminals would become too powerful. The level of crime in our kingdom would skyrocket.

The right to freedom that the book promised would lead people to do whatever they wanted- Rob houses, turn away from their families and my list went on.

By the end of my speech, I had won over the masses. Almost everyone was convinced that the book was a just a product of some childish fantasy.

I was not only the favourite in my father's eyes, but also in the eyes of the masses.

Thus, when my father approached me with the list of marriage proposals from different kingdoms, I declined it.

I expected the shocked look from him, but I also knew how to make him swell up in joy the next second.

I told him about my idea to choose a common girl as my fiance. Having one of them be a part of the royals would strengthen our public relations. 

Truthfully, it was because all the princesses I had met were as bland as celery.

Each one of them had the same list of hobbies and dislikes, as if they were clones of each other. Whenever I tried to have a deep conversation with one of them about life in general, they just wouldn't shut up about how handsome I was or about how cute our future babies would be. 

I didn't want to spend the rest of my life next to a person who only saw me as a tool to get babies.

I would rather have a naive common girl as my spouse whose never-ending curiosity about the royals would keep me entertained for life. So, I headed into the main hall to choose my future wife.

But I didn't think she would have the ability to surpass my expectations.

I was so wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Anika**

Much to my disappointment it wasn't Prince Ezekiel who entered the hall. It was a group of masked men dressed in identical royal attires.

' _What bullshittery is this?_ ' I frowned as they walked to the centre of the hall. They must have noticed the confused faces in the crowd as one of them cleared the air.

"Do not be disheartened ladies. The prince is very much among us. However, it is upto you to win his heart tonight. To know who among you is worthy to be the future queen of Vermont, he has decided to test your level of charisma and knowledge in secrecy. You must regard the six of us as his substitute and behave in the same way you would in his presence. Now that the formalities are over, I would appreciate if the other family members would retire to their homes and let the ladies enjoy their special night."

He basically phrased ' _Leave the girls and get lost_ ' in a formal manner.

On hearing his words, my aunt turned to me with worried eyes and reminded me to not test the wrath of the royals. I assured her with with a half hearted hug and watched her form disappear among the the crowd of elders leaving the hall.

I glanced at the masked men escorting the ladies to the ballroom and headed towards the opposite direction- to the buffet. 

I hadn't forgotten about my mission to be the prince's first rejection.

A woman who enjoyed eating food over the company of a man was seen to be immature and ill-mannered, so I knew I had to be exactly like that.

The buffet spread was massive. There were dishes I had never seen or heard about- Ten different soups, array of appetizers, cuisines whose namecards were too difficult to read and infinite supply of desserts.

I was in food heaven.

I didn't know where to begin from, so I decided to pile up everything in tiny portions on my plate. I didn't know if something was meant to be eaten along with rice or bread. As long as it tasted good, I was fine with it.

One of the curries had shelled meat in it. If I was alone at home, I would crack it using my teeth like a wild bear.

But I was in a public place. I suddenly became self-conscious. I looked around the hall and saw some guards and maids looking at me. I blushed when it dawned on me that they would too report to the prince about my unruliness.

I wanted to upset the prince, but not disappoint my own people. So, I sat at the giant empty table next to the buffet and struggled to break the shells using my knife and fork. When that failed, I resorted to break them with my bare hands. Still, in that process I ended up smashing the delicate meat inside it.

But I was too stubborn to stop trying. Each time I pressed the shell, the delicate meat burst out of it like a bubble and I would be left with a white goopy liquid. I was about to smash my last shelled meat, when I heard the most annoying chuckle from the most annoying man I had ever met. 

"Is there something funny about my struggle Sir?" I hissed in frustration. I couldn't tell who he was as he had a mask over his face. ' _He must be separated from the other masked men'_ I thought _. "_ If you are searching for the ladies, you can find them in the ballroom with your fellow mates," I turned back to my food, but I suppose he couldn't let me eat in peace.

"I believe you didn't notice the cracker tool lying next to the curry pot, Miss," he gently put a device next to me and took a seat. I blushed and bit my tongue in frustration, before using the tool to successfully break the shelled meat. I smiled in satisfaction and ravished the taste of my hardwork. 

"You know, it is a basic courtesy for a lady to say ' _thank you'_ when a gentleman helps her," he said as he played with the end of the tablecloth.

I gave him a sarcastic smile and replied," Thank you for enlightening me Sir, but I believe it is also a basic courtesy for a gentleman to not be delighted at the sight of a lady struggle." I watched as he let go of the cloth and looked at me in surprise, but he quickly replaced it with a mischievous smirk. "Touché."

I finished my food in silence, not giving him the satisfaction of holding a conversation with me. I thought it would be enough to let him know that I wasn't interested, but like I said- he was most annoying man I had ever met.

"Aren't you scared that I could report to the prince how rude you are?" 

I wiped my mouth and challenged him," No."

"Really?" He smirked, his onyx eyes glinted with amusement. "Don't you want him to like you?"

"No," I replied curtly and got up from the table to get away from him. I understood that he wasn't going to report my misbehaviour to the prince. He was himself interested in me and I wanted nothing to do with a man who worked for the royals.

"Then why did you come to this banquet?" He asked, following me to the balcony.

Josie's face flashed before my eyes.

I wondered if she was fine with the wizard/witch who had abducted her. I wondered if she had eaten food or had a soft bed to sleep on. I prayed that she wasn't violated physically. Emotionally, I knew she wouldn't be the same again. I hated the fact how rationally everyone had reacted including me, when we found the note. We were worried more about the unfulfillment of the royal order than her abduction because it was nauseatingly normalised by the royals.

 **Royals**.

It was always because of the royals.

' _ **Twisted**._ _**opportunistic**. **manipulati** -'_

"Miss, Are you okay?" I felt a palm gently caress my right cheek to wipe away a tear.

I didn't realise I had started to cry. I immediately backed away from him.

"I was forced," I looked away from him and spat, "By your beloved **royals**."

" **That's a lie** ," he said with such conviction that for a moment I felt he himself was a royal. ' _What a pet'_ I scoffed. "I suppose you were absent on the day the king declared the public order. Each household was expected to sent a maiden to this banquet. Whether they liked it or not. It was an **order** not an invitation," I enlightened Mr. Enlightened himself.

He appeared to be in deep thought, but I couldn't read his expression as his face was covered. Thinking that my words had crushed his pure image of the royals, I headed inside. 

Suddenly, I felt a sharp object pierce through my feet.

I had completely forgotten that I was barefoot. 

I didn't scream or yelp in pain, instead I winced in silence. I sat on a chair and lifted up my gown. I gasped in horror when I saw a coniferous thing embedded in my right foot.

It was a spine used by witches to make lethal potions.

I looked around the hall for help, but there was no sight of the maids and guards I had seen earlier. 

' _Fantastic_.' I panicked as I tried to remove the spine from my foot. The more it would stay inside, more of the poison would seep into my veins. 

My vision blurred, my dress and hands were smeared with blood, yet I kept pulling the spine.

But it didn't bludge the slightest.

I didn't know if it was because my strength was decreasing as time passed or it was simply because all the adrenaline in me had worn out.

Whatever it was, the last thing I remember before the darkness swept over my vision was two strong arms lift me up in bridal style as I stared into a familiar pair of onyx eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Zeke**

"Why isn't she awake yet?" I growled at the Head Witch.

It had been five hours since Anika had passed out.

Getting her name was a challenge. No one among the commons wanted to be associated with her. Only when I declared that she would be my fiance, did a vast number of them identify her. 

As a reward, I ordered them to be sent to the dungeon. 

"Don't worry Your Highness, she will be awake in sometime. Although the antidote of the poison has a side effect.." the elder woman hesitated.

"You are dismissed," I ordered as I sensed Anika to stir up.

I put on my mask back.

I was sure about my choice, but a little test wouldn't hurt. But much to my disappointment, she didn't open her eyes.

I could hear her soft snores. 

I smiled and gently stroked her hair.

Of course she was tired. All that struggle with the Cönez pine must have drained her energy. 

When I saw her at the buffet, I immediately knew she would be interesting. Her struggle with the shelled meat reminded me of mine when I was a child.

So, I helped her. 

I expected her to thank me, but she instead fired back at me.

Interesting.

That had never happened before.

So, I pestered her a little more. I don't know why I did that, but her ignorance was a foreign feeling to me. I wanted to get a reaction out of her. 

My eyes darted to her's when I noticed the sheet covering her body shift beneath my other hand.

She was smiling in her sleep. 

I didn't think she could possibly look anymore beautiful. I was wrong. Her smile was too precious for the world to handle. 

I traced my finger over her lips.

They weren't luscious, but one look at them and I knew she hadn't kissed anyone.

' _So pure and chaste,'_ I bit my lip, trying to control my urge to taste them.

I must have hissed in the process as her eyes were wide open the next moment. I caressed her cheek and apologised," Sorry for waking you up, love."

She put her hand over mine and said," _It's fine_."

I frowned at her reply. 

What just happened?

Before I could ask her what's wrong, she lunged me onto the floor. I grab her by her waist and cushion the fall.

Her hair was covering half her face, as she stared at me intently.

I open my mouth to speak, but instead I let out a loud gasp. 

She had nested her face against my neck. I could feel her hot breath against my skin. I felt her hand gently clutch my shirt. She took a sharp inhale of my scent, causing me to turn red. 

I had never experienced such a feeling before.

In fact, I had never allowed any girl to touch me in such an intimate manner.

I wanted to kiss her so bad.

But I didn't. 

I knew she wasn't feeling herself. Our kiss would mean nothing to me if she didn't remember it.

I brush the golden locks away from her face to get a better view of her eyes. 

As suspected, they were pink and clouded.

I sighed and chuckled as I tried to imagine her reaction when she would be wake up from her trance. 

I somehow managed to get up from the floor, with Anika holding on to me for dear life. She let out a soft grunt against my ear, causing a shiver to run down my spine. 

She was drugged, then why was I acting as if it was me instead ?

I shifted her into a more comfortable position. It was difficult at first as she couldn't let go of my shirt, causing it to unbutton. She sneakily slid her warm hand against my cold chest, but I stopped her midway. 

I didn't want to do something I would regret the next morning.

" **No** ," I stared into her pink clouded eyes. She pouted like a child and snuggled against my neck again. Her breathing relaxed as she inhaled my scent for a while.

And before I knew it, she had drifted back into unconsciousness. I gently laid her back on the bed, but when I tried to get up I noticed she had already interwined her hand into mine. I sighed in defeat and sat beside her, thinking about our earlier exchange at the balcony.

I must have struck a cord in her because her beautiful face had twisted in disgust. She was quick to replace it with an insincere smile, and tell me about my father's order.

' _No. Father discussed it with me. Invitations were supposed to be sent. There couldn't have been an order announced. We clearly discussed it before I left for-_ '

I began to doubt my own thoughts. 

I was my father's favourite, but I knew he had a habit of keeping things from me. In the past, I had confronted him about it but he would simply say I was too soft to understand his ways.

So I tried to understand him. I really did.

As a child, I didn't understand the logic behind magically creating the Great Drought in Vermont. That time even our public relation was strong. Plus the fact that relief was given from the royal treasury, confused me further.

Why create a problem only to fix it?

When I asked father about it, he smiled and told me it was a strategy.

Strategy to make the people dependent on the royals.

To show them that they _needed_ us.

I loved my father, but even I knew that was a foolish move on his part. The drought only elevated the rebellion which was scattered in the beginning.

Unironically, fingers were pointed at us, the royals. The commons didn't receive the expected relief due to our corrupt nobles. There were rumours that they were being heavily charged for the so-called free- relief.

My father's intentions were noble.

He wanted the commons to admire him.

I understood that very well.

But, the people who influenced him were the problem. Those disgusting rat-like nobles poisoned his mind.

I had managed to get rid of the main five.

But I suppose there was still a sneaky bastard left.

 _'I will have to deal with him later_ ,' I growled unconsciously.

I cursed myself mentally when I realized Anika was starting to stir up again. I lovingly stroked her hair to sooth her back to sleep. She let out cute little noises, but eventually she succumbed to my touch. 

I knew how to deal with people who suffered from such side effects of potions. I had read about it in my books. But what I didn't know was that it could alter according to the person's personality.

Not once did she try to kiss me.

I knew she wouldn't remember it, but she was supposed to try. I wish she would. I wouldn't stop her then. I thought she was playing hard to get. I thought she liked-

I shook my head to get rid of such negative thoughts. ' _Of course she likes me. The public loves me. She's just naive,_ ' I assured myself. 

"So bright."

I looked at the direction of the voice, only to notice Anika blink furiously at the ceiling. She groaned and hid her face under the blanket. 

' _Cute_.' I blushed at her action. I coughed to get her attention.

"You," She narrowed her eyes at me. " What did you do to me?!"

I looked at her in disbelief.

"Actually that should be the other way round," I smirked showing off my dishevelled shirt.

She looked at me horrified as if I told her she had murdered someone. 

Was I that repulsive to her?

" No no no," she murmured. "Last thing I remember is being stabbed in the foot by a thing- How could I-"

" So now you remember?" I raised my brow playfully. "Let's just say that the medicine to your wound was to make love to me," I teased her.

When she heard my words, her face was red as a tomato.

' _So innocent_.'

"You!" She threw a pillow at me, but I dodged it. 

" You have a strange way to thank miss," I hummed. "How about telling me your name in exchange?" 

I wanted to hear her say it. 

She gave me a suspicious look and glanced away. "Why should I tell that to a stranger like you? I can't even see your face. "

' _So you_ are _curious about me,_ ' I smiled to myself.

"Fair enough," I sighed. "I'll tell you my name in exchange."

"And why will it not be a lie?" She challenged me.

I clicked my tongue in frustration, but I couldn't help but smile at her. 

Why was she so guarded all the time? 

" My name is Zeke," I said to her without blinking. "It's your choice if you want to believe it or not." I shrugged.

She appeared to be in a great dilemma for several minutes, before I finally heard her say it in her sweet voice, "Anika."

" Nice to meet you, Miss. Anika," her name rolled out of my tongue as smooth as honey. "I'm pleased to inform you that the prince has chosen you to be his fiance."

She looked at me wide eyed like a deer caught in headlights and said," I refuse."


	5. Chapter 5

**Anika**

"I refuse."

Two simple words yet sometimes people don't seem to comprehend it.

Or maybe they choose to be in denial.

I watched as Zeke's eyes lost its warmth and he let out a hollow chuckle in response. His playful demeanor was quickly replaced by a more authoritative one.

" We will see about that, love." 

"Wait-" I tried to stop him, but he had already left the room by then. When I tried to get up from the bed, a sharp pain jolted through my bandaged foot. I groaned at my stupidity and laid back down on the bed.

As I stared at the ceiling, I wondered what my fate would be.

Would I be thrown in the dungeon? Or would I be blackmailed to marry the prince?

Whatever it would be, I knew it wouldn't end well for me.

But what surprised me the most was the prince. 

Was he out of his mind? On what criteria did he select me? He was supposed to reject me, not choose me?!

The queen of Vermont was meant to be as pretentious as the other royals, probably obsessed with the prince and be the epitome of courtesy.

Not someone who despised them from the depths of her heart, broke their petty rules and was apparently a klutz.

Walking barefoot in a palace infested with magical items was a dumb decision on my part.

But why was Zeke sad?

He was acting as if I had rejected him. Well, I would reject him too. I wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. I was supposed to be at home drinking a cup of hot cocoa while reading my favourite-

"So you are my son's choice," A gruff voice interrupted my line of thoughts. When I looked to see who it was, it was none other than King Baxter.

Blood boiled through my veins.

This was the face I had come to hate for several years. The same face that had promised the commons 'free-relief' during the Great Drought, only to overcharge them for it. I may have been a child then, but I remembered that incident very well.

I stared at him coldly without saying a word for I feared I wouldn't be able to hold my tongue. He looked at me as if I were a piece of meat in the butcher's shop. 

"You look a bit like Princess of Merrimere except for being a little too..." he paused in search for the appropriate word to describe my appearance," blunt."

If he wanted to get a reaction out of me, he had failed miserably as I kept staring at him as if I were mute. I didn't care what he thought of me. Actually, if he had said that I looked pretty I would have been quite offended by myself and also been creeped out. 

"Shy one too, huh," he smiled warmly, but I wouldn't let that bludge my cold stare. 

"Being blunt isn't bad though," he sighed, taking a seat next to me. "A wife who is honest about her feelings is something every man desires, but it is quite rare to find a combination like that in our world," he smiled at me. 

I didn't answer him, but he must have noticed the hint of curiosity in my eyes so he continued.

"When Ezekiel first told me that he wanted to marry a common girl, I was quite apprehensive about it. Truthfully, I wasn't even convinced when he told me his marriage to a commoner would strength our public relations," he admitted.

I was surprised by his confession. Why was he being so direct with me?

"But looking at the way your eyes itself make it clear how much you despise me," he chuckled. "I understand why he chose you."

"Why?" I blushed as my voice came out more like a whisper than a demand. 

His chuckle elevated to a hearty laugh, before he answered me.

"Because unlike his mother you aren't complicated. You don't wear a mask to hide your emotions," he said with tired eyes. "Your lack of filter is alien to my boy. All his life he has been told things that are meant for a prince. Even I am guilty of it. But you," he gave a weak smile and continued, "You are different. You are a person who will be honest to him all his life. Your words won't be for a king. Your words will be for your husband, Ezekiel."

I sneered at his last words.

"Husband?" I looked at him with crazy eyes. "What gave you the idea I wished to marry your son? Oh I know! The fact that I came to the banquet especially for him maybe? Well let me tell you something 'Never-to-be-my father-in-law'- I will rather have my bones broken than marry a royal, let alone the 'greatest' one of all: your son!"

I huffed in satisfaction as anger flooded his veins. He clenched his jaws and his eyes were bloodshot.

Yes, this was what I pictured him to be- this was his true self, not that warm-kind man who was amused by my hatred for him.

" **How dare you..,** " he gritted through his teeth. " **You insolent b-"**

" **Beauty**."

I looked in the direction of the familiar voice, but my eyes widened in surprise.

That wasn't Zeke.

That was Prince Ezekiel himsel-

' _Wait. So Zeke was Prince Ezekiel all this time?_ ' I frowned at myself. How could I not put two and two together?! Zeke was short for Ezekiel and he-

' - _will probably do the honour of throwing me into the dungeon himself. Great,_ ' I accepted my fate whole heartedly.

Even if I would die in a dark torture chamber, I would die as a free bird who refused to be caged by the royals. 

But it seemed fate had a different plan for me.

"Forgive her father," he bowed to the king. "The antidote of the poison is the cause of her rude temperament," he lied. "May I speak with you about the wedding arrangement in my room?"

The king coughed heavily, before nodding in response.

He left the room after whispering some gibberish in Zeke's ear, to which he must have replied something pleasant as the King looked at me pitifully.

' _Did he cook up a sad backstory for me?'_

 _"_ What did you tell him?" I demanded, once his father had left the room.

Zeke gave me a sly smile, before stabbing a needle in my arm.

"Ow! What the-" he covered my mouth and whispered,"You have been a _very_ bad girl, Anika. Time to control that sharp tongue of yours," With that he pushed the contents of the needle into my arm.

I winced as I felt a burning sensation near my throat. I opened my mouth to curse him, but nothing came out.

"What the h- did you do to me?" I cried out in frustration as I was unable to say 'hell'.

"As much as I like your fierceness, love," he hummed. " I can't have you spoil our wedding plans. I'm sorry but you will have to be a little more nice to my father."

I glared at him, before tightly shutting my eyes when he caressed my cheek.

I wanted all this to be a dream. A nightmare I could wake up from. But it was all too real.

"So what flavour cake will you like for our wedding?"

 _Silence_.

"Are you allergic to any flowers?"

 _Silence_.

"Oh how can I forget about the most important thing? When do you want our wedding to take place? In a week or-"

"I need time to think," I opened my eyes in defeat, only to see his eyes glimmer with hope.

I hadn't agreed to marry him, but he reacted as if I had.

"Of course!" he beamed. "We have all the time in the world to spend together."

"No," I said in a dead voice. "I want to be left alone for some days. All this is too much for me to handle," I shut back my eyes awaiting his refusal, but instead he agreed.

"Sure, I understand," he petted my hair. "But in order to be alone, you will have to stay in the palace."

I nodded reluctantly.

What other choice did I have? If I disagreed he would probably stick another needle in me with god-knows-what-potion that would brainwash me to marry him.

Atleast by agreeing to be under house arrest I would buy myself some time before the wedding and probably escape from it.

Or maybe I would be able to convince him how bad of a choice I was for him. 

The last part was a blatant lie.


	6. Chapter 6

**Zeke**

"Do you not understand the meaning of the word ' _alone_ '?"

Anika glared at me when I went to wake her up the next day. She tried to mumble some curses in her half asleep state, but they ended up sounding like slurs instead. I chuckled at the sight of her messy hair and bedroom eyes.

It was so hard to resist her.

I went to wipe the drool off the corner of her mouth, but she was quick to slap away my hand the last second. I flinched at her level of prudence, but I didn't let her get the joy of seeing my disappointment. 

I sighed and smiled,"I will go away."

I watched her glare soften. 

"Once you have breakfast with me."

She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it when she saw the maid bring in the large spread of food on a trolley.

I suppose food could be a key to her heart.

We ate our food in silence with occasional coughs from her side. I realised as a commoner she must not have seen or eaten half of the items served. Suddenly a terrible thought struck my mind.

What if she was _allergic_ to any of the food?

I panicked and pushed the spoon out of her hand.

"What the-"

I closed the distance between us and forced her mouth open. She tried to push me away, but I interlocked her arms in mine to prevent that. 

Rashes.

Red angry rashes tarnished the inside of her mouth. Some were starting to swell up.

Pure _rage_ took over me.

**She was trying to kill herself with an anaphylactic shock.**

**"You want to escape me that bad huh,"** I growled in her ear and pulled away.

"Huh?!" She frowned coughing in my face. "What do you mean? Can't I even eat in peace!"

Realization dawned upon me. 

She didn't know what she was doing. I relaxed my hold on her, letting her escape.

"Geez," She hissed, rubbing her bruised wrists.

I was so blinded for a moment that I didn't notice I had used too much of my strength on her.

Feeling guilty, I left her alone in the room.

But not for long as I returned with my potion kit. She flinched when I entered the room, but didn't say a word in return. I noticed that she hadn't eaten her meal after my departure.

I sighed in relief.

"Come here."

I meant to ask, but it came out more like an order. She kept glaring daggers at me from the other side of the room. 

Taking her silence as a no, I laid out the bottles of potions on the bed for her to see. 

I cut my skin with a scapel, earning a gasp from her.

Feeling her eyes on me, I bit the cork off one of the bottles and soaked a piece of cotton in its contents.

With swift motions, I rubbed the soaked cotton on my cut, healing it in seconds.

She looked at my hand in astonishment.

I smiled.

I finally had her trust.

I made her sit on the bed and lifted her bruised wrists. She hissed at the touch of my fingers, I ignored and tended her wounds.

As expected, the bruises healed immediately.

When she started to get up, I forced her to sit again.

"What now?" She frowned.

I caressed her lips and said," It will hurt like hell to even swallow water."

Her glare faltered, as a blush creeped to her cheeks.

"It's fine. I can handle it. I don't need you to-"

"Anika _please_."

Hesitantly, she parted her lips.

Pleased with her cooperation, I took an effort to be as gentle as possible with her. 

I soaked the cotton in blue potion and dabbed it against the inside of her cheek. When she winced in pain, I reduced the pressure applied. With the excuse of trying to be delicate, I took my own sweet time to treat her.

She hadn't eaten anything mint based, but her breath smelt like fresh mint.

She was about to wipe off the drool that was forming at the corner of her mouth again, but I beat her to it.

Maybe it was an allergic reaction that her lips had become plump and juicy.

Whatever it was, they looked deliciously irresistible.

I must have been leaning close to her as I felt her hand gently push against my chest. I broke away from the spell of her luscious lips and focused on healing her rashes.

One of the rashes was hard to reach with the cottonball, so I asked her to lie down.

Surprisingly, she complied.

I wanted to forever capture that moment in my mind.

Her tangled locks looked like the golden fleece on the oak, her amber eyes held an unexplainable emotion that had the power to pull the strings of my heart and her plump lips reminded me of sweet cherries.

The way her breath hitched when our eyes met, for a moment I thought I would completely _lose_ it.

But just then her eyes darted away. 

The electric spark fused and I came back to my senses.

I finished with my task and helped her up.

I knew we clearly had something, even if she would deny to the glory.

I handed her a glass of water, to which she raised a brow in confusion.

"Drink it. I want to see if I got all the rashes," I explained.

Without any arguments, she drank it.

I smiled.

She fell for it.


End file.
